It's been an incredible year for new TV shows. We've seen so many good shows already this year, like Widow's Bay, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, Dutton Ranch, Sterling Point, Margo's Got Money Troubles, and many more.
The good news is that most of those shows have already been renewed for another season. We'll be getting new seasons of all of those shows listed above and so many more good shows. The other good news is that we haven't had a ton of cancellations either. Sure, a few shows, like The Boroughs, Spider-Noir, and others, have been canceled, but the list of 2026 shows canceled is quite short heading into the final months of the year.
Unfortunately, there are several incredible shows that are still on the bubble and waiting for season 2 renewals. I highlighted the five best shows of 2026 so far that still haven't picked up renewals yet, starting with a Prime Video series that's nominated for a Primetime Emmy in one of the biggest categories.
Bait
- Premiere date: March 25, 2026
- Where to watch" Prime Video
Bait might not be the most popular show on this list, but it's probably the most shocking that it hasn't been renewed for season 2 yet. Riz Ahmed, who created the series and also stars, was just nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie. He might win the award on Monday, Sept. 14 before the Prime Video series gets a renewal! That's insane to think about.
Bait tells the story of an actor, Shah, played by Ahmed, who auditions for the role of a lifetime: James Bond. Meanwhile, the public freaks out and begins diving recklessly into his past and overanalyzing everything.
The series premiered on Prime Video this spring, and it was incredibly well-received by critics and audiences. I'm absolutely shocked this show has not been renewed for another season yet. It feels like Ahmed really has something here that could turn into an even more special commentary than it already is.
Man on Fire
- Premiere date: April 30, 2026
- Where to watch: Netflix
It's not surprising that Man on Fire has a big action hit for Netflix this spring. The series is based on a book of the same name from A.J. Quinnell. There's also a very popular action movie from the early 2000s starring Denzel Washington that got people interested.
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II stars an ex-mercenary, John Creasy, who is pulled back into the game. There's no better action star on TV right now than Abdul-Mateen II, which is why I find it so wild that Netflix has not picked up the series for season 2. The story sets up a second season perfectly, too.
For a while, it looked like Marvel's Wonder Man on Disney+ was the reason that Netflix hadn't renewed the series yet. Abdul-Mateen II could have had some conflicts that were holding things up behind the scenes, but then, Wonder Man was canceled, despite the earlier renewal, and now, we're just waiting for Netflix to renew Man on Fire for season 2.
Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed
- Premiere date: May 20, 2026
- Where to watch: Apple TV
Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed is my favorite show on this list, and I can't believe that Apple TV hasn't renewed the series for season 2 yet.
Tatiana Maslany plays Paula, a woman struggling with balancing a divorce, motherhood, and a challenging career. When Paula is the target of blackmail and someone she cares about is murdered, Paula's life spirals down, down, down. She tries her best to uncover what really happened while trying to keep it all together.
Maslany is amazing in this series. She's basically the only reason I tuned in for this series in the first place, although I like her co-star Jake Johnson a lot too. Maslany is the reason this show deserves a second season. It ends in a great spot, and there's a lot to like about the story, but we need more Maslany. This just can't be the end of the road for this show. Maximum pleasure simply would not be guaranteed.
Star City
- Premiere date: May 29, 2026
- Where to watch: Apple TV
For All Mankind's spinoff, Star City, premiered on Apple TV right after the final season of For All Mankind came to an end on the streaming network. Star City has not been renewed for another season, despite being a resounding success with audiences and critics.
For those who don't know, Star City focuses on the Russian side of the space race in the 1970s, while For All Mankind followed the American side of the conflict. The first season doesn't necessarily end on a bad note. I could see this being the end, but I could also see Star City running for another five seasons, just like For All Mankind. It could go either way, but it doesn't look like there have been many Star City season 2 updates lately, so we'll just have to be patient.
Lanterns
- Premiere date: Aug. 16, 2026
- Where to watch: HBO
Lanterns is probably the least surprising addition to the list. The DC series from Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof, and Tom King is only halfway through the first season, but it's already getting incredible reviews. It seems everyone is loving, or at least liking, Lanterns.
Lanterns is the latest and most unique take on the Green Lantern stories from DC Comics. Kyle Chandler and Aaron Moten star as Hal Jordan and John Stewart, respectively, as they try to protect the galaxy from the bad things and creatures.
That's a very good sign for HBO renewing Lanterns for season 2, even though we haven't seen just how this story is going to play out by the end of the first season. Unfortunately, there's a report that HBO is taking its time with renewing Lanterns, and they will not be making a big decision this early in the process. What that means is that we'll be waiting for a while to find out what's next for Lanterns.
I would assume that Lanterns would be renewed for season 2, but we'll just have to wait and see.
That's the list of major 2026 shows that haven't been renewed yet. If I had my way, we'd see them all score season 2 renewals immediately! Stay tuned for more news about these great shows.
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